In narrative therapy, Māori creation stories are being used to heal

Mark Kopua is using Māori knowledge to heal whānau in distress. CHRIS SKELTON/STUFF

by MICHELLE DUFF, Stuff, March 9 2018

The boy sits there, his head down. He feels stink; he knows all the adults are there to talk about him, about what’s wrong with him.

He’s always been told off for being so fidgety, for not paying attention. He knows it’s a bad thing.

But when the talking begins, it’s not about how to fix him. They’re telling a story about atua, the gods, and one of them sounds exactly like him! He’s called Uepoto, and he’s always curious. He’s full a mischief, a tutū.